Mesenchymal Stem Cell-Derived Extracellular Vesicles in Bone-Related Diseases: Intercellular Communication Messengers and Therapeutic Engineering Protagonists

Abstract

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) can deliver various bioactive molecules among cells, making them promising diagnostic and therapeutic alternatives in diseases. Mesenchymal stem cell-derived EVs (MSC-EVs) have shown therapeutic potential similar to MSCs but with drawbacks such as lower yield, reduced biological activities, off-target effects, and shorter half-lives. Improving strategies utilizing biotechniques to pretreat MSCs and enhance the properties of released EVs, as well as modifying MSC-EVs to enhance targeting abilities and achieve controlled release, shows potential for overcoming application limitations and enhancing therapeutic effects in treating bone-related diseases. This review focuses on recent advances in functionalizing MSC-EVs to treat bone-related diseases. Firstly, we underscore the significance of MSC-EVs in facilitating crosstalk between cells within the skeletal environment. Secondly, we highlight strategies of functional-modified EVs for treating bone-related diseases. We explore the pretreatment of stem cells using various biotechniques to enhance the properties of resulting EVs, as well as diverse approaches to modify MSC-EVs for targeted delivery and controlled release. Finally, we address the challenges and opportunities for further research on MSC-EVs in bone-related diseases.

Keywords:

• extracellular vesicles
• mesenchymal stem cells
• functional modification
• bone-related diseases

Author Contributions

Professor Wei Han and Professor Huang Li share co-corresponding authorship. All authors made a significant contribution to the work reported, whether that is in the conception, study design, execution, acquisition of data, analysis and interpretation, or in all these areas; took part in drafting, revising or critically reviewing the article; gave final approval of the version to be published; have agreed on the journal to which the article has been submitted; and agree to be accountable for all aspects of the work.

Disclosure

The authors report no conflicts of interest in this work.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by grants from the Natural Science Foundation of Jiangsu Province (SBK2021021787), the Major Project of the Health Commission of Jiangsu Province (ZD2022025), and the Key Project of the Nanjing Health Commission (ZKX20048).